


Coin Flip (Heads)

by Anonymous



Category: Newsies (1992), Newsies - All Media Types, Newsies!: the Musical - Fierstein/Menken
Genre: Backstory, Canon Era, Crushes, First Meetings, Gen, M/M, One Shot, Past Relationship(s), Slice of Life
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-04-12
Updated: 2018-04-12
Packaged: 2019-04-22 02:21:36
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,440
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/14298669
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/
Summary: There's a new leader in Brooklyn and Race is curious





	Coin Flip (Heads)

Racetrack had heard all the rumors by now. 

A new leader had assumed position in Brooklyn and needless to say, Race was itching to meet him. After all, he had some terms of agreement with the last leader. There was nothing to say that this one would hold any honors towards him.

“I heard he killed him with his bare hands,” one boy commented only to get pushed by his companion. 

“Yeah, then why did I see Twisty walking across the bridge last week?”

No one could confirm the sighting of the former leader and Race fiddled around with the cigar in his mouth. If it wasn’t one thing, it was another in this whole mess. All he wanted was to be able to go to Sheepshead. 

“Nah, Spot’s a good guy.”

Everyone turned to Jack, who was idly picking at a fingernail as the room quieted. 

“First name basis, huh, Jack?” Race couldn’t help comment, a pit growing in his stomach.

“We’s on friendly terms,” Jack shrugged, leaving Race to wonder what Jack meant by friendly.

Jack’s mouth remained sealed, signaling the end of his participation in the topic. The rest of the newsies went back to their gossip, but Race wasn’t so easily deterred. As he stepped by Jack to go to the outside of the lodging house, he gave him a pointed look, one which Jack returned. Once in the cool night air, Race leaned against the building in quiet contemplation as he lit up his cigar.

“What?” Jack asked as he joined Race’s side. 

Puffing into the air, Race watched the smoke trail up, his thoughts collecting themselves. “Tell me more about this Spot.”

Jack pursed his lips, watching a carriage pass by as if he was hoping that would distract Race. 

“You really wanna know?” Jack sighed, crossing his arms. 

“Everything,” Race nodded.

And so, Jack did as Race asked. Not that the information was much at all. Just a full name, that Jack had a few run ins with the boy. It was all formality. Jack mentioned this before and after every sentence until Race was getting fed up.

“Yeah, and my name’s actually Racetrack,” Race mumbled, then receiving a punch on the arm. “What the hell, Kelly?”

“Nothing happened between me and Spot, you hear?” Jack’s voice was on the verge of something terrible and Race raised his hands in surrender. 

“All right. Nothing,” Race shook his head, giving Jack a wary eye. 

Glancing at Race once more, Jack swallowed before heading back into the lodging house. Whatever secrets Jack had were his own and Race respected that. All he cared about now was the little information he gained from this conversation. Race cracked a smile as he stared at the moon, his thoughts carrying him away. 

Whoever this Spot Conlon was, Race was ready to meet him and face whatever consequences he may.

~

Monday brought with it the bravery to cross the bridge. 

It wasn’t the Brooklyn newsies that were a worry, but rather that Race would be stopped before making it halfway. That Spot would already make his judgements without even meeting Race.

With a determined breath, Race began his trek, the bridge seeming larger than usual. He tried to distract himself as he walked, but his nerves were betraying him and by the time he had reached Brooklyn’s side, Race wanted nothing more than to run back the way he came.

The only thing that stopped him was a need. To see if Spot was as fearsome as the newsies had said, if he was as charming as Jack’s tone suggested. His own opinion of Spot needed to be completed, not skewed by others around him. 

As he marched down the street, he noticed a familiar face coming his way and he instinctively waved. To his relief, the newsie waved back, crossing over to Race’s side of the street. 

“How’s selling, Clover?” Race asked when they reached his side and Clover shrugged.

“All right today. Listen, Spot wants to see you.”

Race raised an eyebrow, a little disappointed that Clover hadn’t just come to say hello, but it usually was just business in Brooklyn. Motioning for Clover to lead the way, Race followed behind them, his questions locking themselves away for the time being. 

Clover made no move to carry a conversation, leaving Race to darker thoughts as they made their way down to the docks. Once there, Clover weaved their way through the crates and Race was forced to catch up until he almost crashed into them. 

“Uh...see you later, Race. Maybe,” Clover mumbled before taking off, leaving Race alone on the docks. 

There were no other newsies, a rarity especially for the time of the day and Race wondered just what Brooklyn was playing at. Then, a clamoring from some nearby crates caught his attention and Race waited as a boy appeared from behind them, cigarette hanging neatly from his mouth.

“Racetrack Higgins?” he asked and Race’s first instinct was to swallow. 

“Who wants to know?”

The boy laughed, taking hold of the cigarette with one hand and adjusting his cap. “Me. Spot Conlon.”

Race blinked, trying to comprehend that this was the Spot Conlon. The one who struck fear in other newsies’ hearts, had snatched up Brooklyn in a night, and most of all, borrowed Jack’s heart. 

Spot was surreal, a mystery captivating Race as he stood on the docks, both waiting for the conversation to start. Spot’s eyes held the weight of the world and Race knew he was staring when Spot looked away with a scowl. 

“What, I ain’t what you was expecting?”

A choice was in Race’s hands and he wondered if Jack would mind terribly at what he said next. 

“No. You’re so much more.”

Spot laughed then, his eyes crinkling, and Race’s heart stuttered for a moment. “You’re funny, Race. I see why Twisty kept you around.” 

“He’s not dead, is he?” Race blurted out after hearing the familiar name and froze when Spot’s eyes bore into him. 

“Course not. But he’s well over eighteen now. Brooklyn’s got rules, you know.”

Race bit on his lip, questions heavy on his mind. He wanted to know everything, but he didn’t want to cross any lines. 

“So he chose you then?”

Taking a drag from his cigarette, Spot let the smoke curl from his mouth, his eyes still visible through the wisps. 

“I had to work for it, but if you want to water it down like that, then yeah.”

Race nodded his understanding, his body still tense as Spot took a step towards him. Then, Spot held out his cigarette to Race, an offering that Race didn’t rush to accept. 

“Not gonna kick you out,” Spot reassured. “Twisty’s told me all about you. Not to mention how often I see you around.”

“See...me?” Race stumbled, quite sure he had never come across Spot in all his time of selling around Brooklyn. 

Spot’s face turned red then, his fists clenching, and Race snatched Spot’s cigarette before he could take it back. Race’s drag was hesitant, but Spot seemed to calm down, even if his eyes refused to meet Race’s. 

“Yeah. See. Like right now. With you standing in front of me.” Spot tried to cover his embarrassment. 

Spot’s words were easy to see through, but Race held back on his teasing for now and handed Spot back his cigarette. 

“Well, we’ll be _seeing_ each other a lot now, won’t we?” 

Spot’s head jerked up then, his eyes widening a little and Race couldn’t help the grin that grew on his face. 

“Good to meet you, Spot,” Race touched the brim of his cap before heading back to where docks met cobblestone. 

He could feel Spot’s eyes on his back, but Race didn’t turn around, his heart thrumming in his chest. 

“Take care, Race.”

Spot’s call was all it took and Race shot a glance over his shoulder, his smile taking over his entire face. Spot seemed amused at best, but that was better than nothing. It added a small skip to Race’s step and he whistled as he walked to Sheepshead. 

As first meetings went, Race couldn’t have asked for a better introduction. Now, it was just the matter of really getting to know Spot and letting life lead him from there. He could see why Jack was so tight-lipped about him, but that didn’t deter Race in the slightest. Jack and Spot’s past was exactly that. 

It was time for a new chapter, doors opening wide, and Race only hoped he would be able to bring Spot along for the adventure.

**Author's Note:**

> might write a story from spot's perspective cause hoh man does that boy have a crush  
>  
> 
> [Wumblr](http://safarikalamari.tumblr.com)


End file.
